


Morning Rituals

by remanth



Category: Penny Dreadful (TV)
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Morning Rituals, vancat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-09 20:26:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7815886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remanth/pseuds/remanth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the morning after Vanessa spent the night with Catriona</p>
            </blockquote>





	Morning Rituals

A shifting in the bed woke Vanessa from a warm, soft sleep as the early rays of morning sunlight filtered in through the pale curtains at the window. She stretched for a moment then looked around the room, momentarily disoriented. This wasn’t her room at Sir Malcolm’s home nor was it, to her everlasting thanks, the room she’d been consigned to at the hospital. Vanessa studied the room she hadn’t bothered looking at the night before; other things had occupied her attention.

The room was feminine but not fussily so. The walls were papered in a light green with dark green vines crawling up the walls. Here and there, yellow flowers dotted the vines. The floor was a deep mahogany, red glints shining in the sunlight stretching across the wooden boards. A honey-colored writing desk sat against one wall underneath a window, the light not quite touching the surface just yet. But, in the middle of the day and leading towards evening, that area would be bathed in warm, golden sunlight. Perfect for reading and writing letters. A pewter writing set, including a small letter opener that rested neatly next to the pen on the blotter, were the only things on the surface of the desk.

The curtains that Vanessa had noted earlier were a light green similar to the wallpaper. Not quite the same color but a complementary shade that gave the light a spring feeling. There was a pattern in the lace of the fabric but Vanessa didn’t feel the need to look closely enough at it to see. Her eyes shifted to the bed she was lying in. It was a comfortable, large bed, big enough for her and her companion with space left over. The quilt was a riot of color that swirled in loops around the whole blanket. The sheets underneath were a snowy white and soft to the touch. Vanessa sat up in the bed, pulling the sheet up over her breasts.

Across the room from the writing desk was a vanity table. It was made of the same honey-colored wood and glistened slightly with polish. It looked well-cared-for and well-loved. The mirror was large and oval-shaped. It looked old but still gave back a clear reflection. The frame was carved with more vines and flowers, though Vanessa couldn’t see what flowers they were. The chair in front of the vanity was wood again and was occupied.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Catriona said, meeting Vanessa’s eyes in the mirror. She sat in the chair completely nude and seemingly completely at ease. “You seemed like you needed the rest.”

“It was a lovely rest,” Vanessa said, smiling at Catriona. “After an even more lovely night.”

“I’m glad,” Catriona replied. She picked up a brush and started running it through her hair. An easy silence descended between the two of them, broken only by the quiet swishing sound of the brush through her hair.

Vanessa watched, a little entranced, as Catriona moved the brush with even, sure strokes. Her muscles rippled under her skin as she moved. Several timeless moments passed for both of them, a soothing and quiet time in which they could just be rather than act. Vanessa counted each of the strokes automatically, feeling a lassitude come over her as the number went higher. Finally, at 100, Catriona put her brush down.

Now, she used a comb and worked on styling her hair. First, she pulled the mass of it back and over her shoulders. She used pins to hold it in place then started twisting the ends up. The comb parted and smoothed out strands of her hair that Catriona then expertly wound around each other in a semblance of a braid. Finally, when the length of her hair was bound up in itself, she curled the long tail of it around itself and pinned it to the back of her neck. Her hair finished in an elegant but practical bun with no strand out of place. Then, pausing for a few moments to contemplate the jeweled combs on her desk, Catriona picked out a simple metal filigree pair with onyx gems in the loops. She tucked them into the bun, turning her head this way and that to study the end result.

“Beautiful,” Vanessa said, breaking the silence. “Simple and quick. I approve.”

“Thank you,” Catriona replied, flashing another smile over her shoulder. “It keeps my hair up and out of the way while still looking feminine. For some reason, it reassures many of the men I work with.”

A silvery giggle flowed from between Vanessa’s lips as she thought about it. Catriona had carved a place for herself in fields where men dominated, where women did not go and were certainly not welcome. And she had done it brilliantly and with a commanding presence that had drawn Vanessa to her.

Putting the comb back in its place, Catriona picked up a small case. She opened it, revealing the cosmetics within, and started applying them to her face with sure movements. A little coloring on her eyelids, darkening them slightly and highlighting her eyes. The merest touch of pink in her cheeks, enough to give the illusion of having just come in from exercise. And for her lips, a deep red the color of burgundy wine. It suited her, seemed to complete the facade she was creating for the world to see. While Catriona was beautiful in her makeup, Vanessa found she preferred the clean truth beneath.

“And now, your turn my dear,” Catriona said, getting up and moving to the bed with a slinking walk that made her hips sway entrancingly. “Come, sit at the vanity and I’ll fix your hair.”

She held a hand out to Vanessa, still completely nude. Vanessa contemplated the hand for a moment, her own bare skin seeming to tingle under the sheet she still held to her breasts. Then she made up her mind and let the sheet drop. After Vanessa took Catriona’s hand, she led her to the vanity, seating her with gentle pressure on her shoulders. She pressed a kiss to each side of Vanessa’s neck, careful so that her makeup didn’t smudge or leave marks on Vanessa’s pale skin.

Picking up the brush, Catriona smoothed it gently through Vanessa’s hair. After a moment, Vanessa let out a hum of pleasure and tipped her head back. Catriona watched her in the mirror, eyes moving over the reflection of Vanessa’s body. She looked almost ethereal in the mirror, like she was smoke that would drift away at the slightest puff of air. But no, Vanessa was real and alive and warm under her hands, enjoying the feeling of the brush through her hair.

“Would you do something like your hairstyle?” Vanessa asked, her voice soft in the room as if she was afraid of breaking the quiet. “I would like to try that style to see how I like it on myself.”

“Of course,” Catriona said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the crown of Vanessa’s head. She kept brushing, keeping count of the strokes in her head. When she reached 100, like she had for her own hair, she reached around Vanessa and put the brush down. 

Taking a moment, Catriona let her hands slide over Vanessa’s shoulders and down the curve of her collarbone. Her fingers met above Vanessa’s sternum, the pads pressing lightly on her skin. Vanessa shifted her shoulders back slightly, willingly opening herself up to let Catriona run her hands wherever she would like. They stayed like that a moment, just breathing in each other’s scent and enjoying the feel of skin on skin.

Then, though with regret, Catriona let the moment pass. She picked up her comb and some pins, working on pulling the long lengths of Vanessa’s nearly black hair back over her shoulders. She pinned it in place then started wrapping strands of hair around each other. When she finished, she wound the final long length up into a large bun at the base of Vanessa’s neck. Finally, more pins, and the whole of Vanessa’s hair was secured.

“There you go, my dear,” Catriona said, coming around the chair and leaning a hip against the edge of the vanity. “Give your head a few shakes, look at yourself in the mirror, see how you like it.”

Vanessa turned her head this way and that, studying her hair in the mirror. It looked sturdy and solid, like nothing would mess up the elegant bun. She shook her head a few times, pleased when not even a single strand seemed out of place when she stopped. Standing, Vanessa cupped Catriona’s face and kissed her gently. She didn’t stop for several moments, just letting her lips move against Catriona’s. 

“Thank you,” Vanessa said simply when she was done. And there was a wealth of meaning behind the simple words than just for her hairstyle. But Catriona understood and smiled. “Truly, thank you. But I must be heading home. I’m certain Sir Malcolm will be wondering where I have been for the last several hours.”

“I have work I must get to as well,” Catriona said, pressing a kiss to Vanessa’s forehead. “But know, my dear, that you are welcome to spend your nights with me as often as you like. I treasure your company.”

Vanessa nodded, not trusting her voice. For once, being with someone and melding their bodies together hadn’t brought the guilt or fear or touch of darkness she’d come to expect. It had merely been a breathtaking night that she wanted to repeat. And knowing that Catriona wanted the same caused her heart to skip in her chest with sheer joy.

They both stepped apart at the same time, Catriona moving towards the clothing she’d hung on the back of her door and Vanessa towards the clothing she’d draped over the chair in front of the writing desk. As she dressed, Vanessa glanced at Catriona every once in a while. The sight of her snug brown pants being drawn up over slender, strong legs was arresting. Vanessa paused, her shift half on one shoulder. The pants fit Catriona like a second skin once they were in place and the memory of sliding them off her floated into Vanessa’s mind. A shirt with puffy sleeves that snugged tight to her wrists and a corset that was more waistcoat completed Catriona’s outfit.

Vanessa dressed quickly, though she needed help with the buttons on her dress. Without a word, Catriona helped her do the buttons, fingers tracing over skin as she worked each button. When she was dressed, Vanessa turned and slipped into Catriona’s arms again. It felt comfortable, safe, familiar, a place she could belong if she chose it. Letting out a sigh, she rested her cheek against Catriona’s.

“Not tonight but tomorrow?” she suggested. “I would very much like to come back then, if I may.”

“Tomorrow night then,” Catriona replied. “I’ll wait breathlessly for your return.”

“As will I,” Vanessa promised. She pressed one more kiss to Catriona’s lips. “As will I.”

**Author's Note:**

> I loved Catriona the moment she was introduced and I wish she had been in more episodes. That being said, I'm not so sure I have her voice completely correct in this, nor Vanessa's. I hope I got close though.


End file.
